


Not Her

by CobraOnTheCob



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Maiko critical, Slightly - Freeform, Zumai critical, anti Maiko, anti Zumai, not Maiko/Zumai friendly, salt fic, the worldbuilding here is just messy and all over the place and i'm sorry about that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:07:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26029930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobraOnTheCob/pseuds/CobraOnTheCob
Summary: Zuko comes home.An old friend comes up to him with some advice.
Relationships: OC & Zuko
Kudos: 6





	Not Her

**Author's Note:**

> I last touched this April 12, 2019 before leaving it to collect dust. Found it in my sta.sh, decided to wipe the dust off and complete it. 
> 
> It's anti Maiko/anti Zumai, so if you like Maiko/Zumai, this isn't your cup of tea.
> 
> I made Chikara originally for this, along with Bunji and Azuma, more in the endnotes.
> 
> also, since most was written in 2018-2019, you can probably see the differences in my writing styles :'''D 
> 
> and yes, this is almost breaking the fourth wall, but you know what? it's a salt fic, I was young, and I wanted to vent my frustrations and grievances against this ship.

"Zuko. It's been a long time. How have you been?"

Zuko blinks at the sixteen year old boy leaning against the entrance of the palace gates. It had been three days since his father congratulated him on killing the Avatar. Zuko needed to get out of the palace and away from all the people whispering about the person who brought down the Avatar, when he was once regarded as a failure and a traitor only a month before.

"Chikara. It's been a while. You look...like you've been in the sun for a while." Zuko replied as he watched the boy step out of the shadow. The guards are wary, Zuko realizes, as Chikara is nearly armed to the teeth. Although Chikara was a firebender, he had armed himself with a few types of weapons, weapons that have not been used in generations. 

"Guards, no need to worry, I would never hurt the Crown Prince, or should I say now, the ‘Avatar Killer’?" Chikara's lip twisted in a smirk. Zuko could tell his guards were tensing up at Chikara’s words.

"I'll be fine, Chikara would never hurt me," Zuko quickly said to the guards, dismissing them. He gestured to Chikara to walk with him outside, raising his eyebrow at the walking armory that was his friend.

"Things change Zuko. You never know who wants to stick a knife in your back." Chikara mumbled.

"So...what's changed in the three years I've gone?" Zuko asked. 

"Well...Azuma, Bunji, and I joined the army, if you couldn't tell. Azuma's coming home, and Bunji is already back, but he's injured. He's not in any condition to be outside and talking to anyone. They haven't sent me to the front lines, keeping me here for the invasion." Chikara said.

"What invasion?" Zuko asked. Chikara stopped and stared, then seemed to have gathered his thoughts.

"In a month or two there is going to be an invasion on the day of a solar eclipse. The Fire Nation got their hands on the invasion plan, but we only know the time and the target. Everything else is unknown. All the Fire Nation can do is bring as many troops home to slow down the invasion so that they waste time getting through them and would have to retreat. As the troops are fighting, the royalty go into the underground bunker while the nobility have to evacuate the city. I don't know if you noticed the lower class people leaving or packing up, but considering that you've been stuck in the palace since you got back, I don't blame you." Chikara said. Zuko blinked, trying to process all that information.

"How was I not aware of this?" Zuko asked. Chikara shrugged.

"Probably because you just got back and you probably have other things to worry about. For instance, the minute you came home, you've been having a pack of noble girls hanging out by the gate hoping you'd come out." 

"What happened to them?"

"The guards told them to give you time."

"I feel like there'd be an even bigger reason why -" Zuko began to say sarcastically, but Chikara cut him off.

"Alright, I'll crack."

"Wait, I wasn't being serious..." Zuko stopped as Chikara shook his head. They had walked the entirety to Chikara's house without Zuko realizing it. 

"You might want to sit down for this," Chikara said, his tone full of warning as they made their way into a relatively secluded garden, "because if you really want to know why, you'd be dead from shock." 

"Alright, alright, tell me," Zuko said flatly.

"Mai told them off," he began.

"Oh. I should probably thank her - "

"It's not that she did it like I would do it, it's because she's had a crush on you since you were both kids," Chikara slammed in bluntly. Zuko did a double take.

"I'm sorry, what? Mai liked me? What was there to like? I wanted to hang out with Azuma, Bunji, and you, not Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee." Zuko said, bewildered.

"Well, in any case, she likes you for some complicated reason and used that against your admirers," Chikara said, his lips twitching into a smirk again.

"Alright, what's with the smirk?" Zuko asked, his good eye beginning to twitch in irritation because if he had to see that smirk again he was going to fight Chikara where he stood.

"Oh nothing, just a little thing I do nowadays. Oh and Zuko? I wouldn't advise a romantic relationship between you and Mai. There's just...too much stuff between you two." Chikara said, beginning to retreat to his house. Zuko stood up swiftly.

"What do you mean?" Zuko snapped. Chikara whirled around to face Zuko.

"You're the Fire Lord's son, the newly reinstated Crown Prince, and the Avatar Killer. Every single noblewoman close to your age would KILL to even be looked at by you."

"I have a scar covering nearly half of my face, it's not - " Zuko began to argue, but Chikara cut him off again.

"Zuko, if you don't shut up right now and listen to what I need to say, don't make me have to fight any girl for hurting you."

"Fine," Zuko grunted. Chikara relaxed slightly.

"As I was saying, basically, anyone who marries you - no don't give me that look - will boost their family's position. My family is telling my younger sister to try and court you but there's no way you two are ever compatible. I mean, I don't doubt that she'd be a bad Fire Lady, it's just that she has a ruthlessness to her that honestly scares me. She's not afraid to cut down anyone that opposes her."

"Are you implying that I'm soft?"

"No, you aren't. She just reminds me of Azula. Besides, if you want a smooth and happy marriage, try and find someone with your core beliefs. Believe me, I've been in relationships and constantly butting heads over something that neither of you will change is very draining."

"Really?"

"The first one, Seika, was really sweet but my parents didn't approve of her. She was from the merchant class, never mind that her family has had multiple firebenders. Seika and I parted ways. Maybe in another life, we'll find happiness together. But don't ever get me started on Natsumi. My parents threw her at me and at first I thought it could work out but as our relationship continued, she wasn't into me for me. She wanted me so that she could move up the nobility ladder. I broke off the relationship, it was too painful to deal with knowing she wanted my position, not me."

"You said you have butted heads with both?" Zuko asked. Chikara turned away, his face darkening.

"Mainly Natsumi. Seika...we argued over how my family saw her as inferior, but that was the most we really argued about. Natsumi just wanted me for the nobility perks, and probably what I've got." Chikara grounded out, but turned and raised a brow to Zuko at his last few words.

"...I have no idea what that's supposed to mean," Zuko said, confused over Chikara's last words. Chikara barked out a laugh.

"Half the time she tried to get me alone. In my room. I don't think I can spell it out even more than that, Zuko." Chikara deadpanned. 

"Ew, no gross! I did NOT need that image in my head, Chikara! I'm so glad I don't know her, I really don't want to - " Zuko groaned, his face in his hands. Chikara chuckled.

"I'm fine. No scratches, no scandals. Just a quiet behind-the-scenes breakup." Chikara stated. 

“So what should I do?” Zuko asked, “About Mai, I mean.”

“You can be her friend, but don’t get into a romantic relationship with her,” Chikara said, “Do what you need to do to tell her that you just want to be friends and nothing more, alright?”

“Thank you for the advice, Chikara,” Zuko immediately said, and glancing towards the sky, realizes how long he had been out, “Thank you, but I should go home now.”

“Then go,” Chikara said, “And heed my advice!” 

“Will do,” Zuko said, and walked out of the garden. A lot was on his mind now thanks to Chikara telling him that Mai had a crush on him. 

So what was he going to do now?

**Author's Note:**

> so my personal headcanon is that Zuko had three friends when he was younger, but Azula chased them off. He still occasionally sees them, but he doesn't really talk to them because he last time he talked to them was when he was like...five. 
> 
> anyways rip to my 2018-2019 writing style...but i didn't want to massively edit this because you don't get gold like this in 2k20 anymore...


End file.
